Mass Effect 2 isn't just a sequel to the award-winning 2007 Role Playing Game (RPG) from the talented minds at BioWare, it's a continuation in every sense of the word. Recently Ten Ton Hammer had a chance to play Mass Effect 2 at Bioware's studio in Edmonton, Alberta, and learn about the game from three Mass Effect originals: Product Director Casey Hudson, Lead Designer Preston Watamaniuk, and Mass Effect writer Mac Walters.

From the article:

Mass Effect 2's level of persistence is unknown in single-player RPGs, but BioWare has made its name off of taking story to a whole new level. And as in all great stories, not even the protagonist, is safe from death. Characters that died in your Mass Effect 1 experience aren't coming back, and Project Director Casey Hudson hinted that in looking ahead to Mass Effect 3, that will only be more true. "People are going to die in the end, as the result of your decisions... it's unlikely that you'll get through the game with all your favorite players, and in some cases, if things go really bad, even your character - Commander Shephard - will die a permanent death."